8 SLEEPOVER AT THE FIRE STATION

CHAPTER 8 SLEEPOVER AT THE FIRE STATION Asleepover at the fire station. That sounds like fun," Claire's mom said. "So I can go?" Claire asked. "Yes," her mom replied. "I hope you find the fire station ghost," her dad said. "And I'm glad you found the other ghost. The one that was lost." "Thanks, Dad," Claire said. Little John glowed. "I... wasn't... lost...," he wailed. "I... always... knew... where... I... was." "Yes, well..." Claire's dad smiled as though

he didn't know what to say to that. Kaz had a feeling Claire's dad was still getting used to the idea that there were ghosts in the library. That ghosts really existed. "It's too bad you didn't talk to the ghost at the fire station," Kaz said to Little John while Claire packed her bag. Little John rubbed Cosmo's belly. "I told you. He was big. And scary." "Did the ghost see you?" Claire asked Little John. "Did he know you were there?" "I don't know," Little John said. "I was watching TV, but I heard him in the hallway. He was moaning and groaning, and sort of swaying back and forth. Like this." He raised his arms and teetered from side to side "He was soooo big. I was scared, so I hid. I didn't see him during the day. Only at night."

Claire zipped up her suitcase. "Well, I'm not afraid. And neither is Kaz." "Uhhh...," Kaz said. That wasn't exactly true. "Are you guys ready?" Claire asked. She held out her water bottle. Little John backed away. "I think I'll stay here with Beckett and Cosmo tonight," he said.

"Really?" Kaz said. If Little John was so scared of the ghost that he didn't even want to go to the fire station, maybe Kaz shouldn't go, either? Little John shrugged. "You guys are the detectives. Not me." That was true. Kaz and Claire were a team. Scared or not, he had to go with her. So he shrank down... down... down... and went into the water bottle. Claire grabbed her overnight bag, detective bag, and water bottle. Then she and Kaz set off for the fire station. Brynlee, RJ, and Sparky were waiting at the main entrance when Claire arrived. "Hi, Claire!" the twins greeted her. "Woof! Woof!" Sparky got up on his hind legs and sniffed at Claire's water bottle. Brynlee laughed. "I don't know why he likes your water bottle so much." Claire and Kaz grinned at each other. It wasn't the water bottle that Sparky liked. It was what, or

rather who, was inside the water bottle. "Hi, Sparky," Kaz said. He wished he'd thought to bring Cosmo. Sparky and Cosmo would probably have a lot of fun together. "Sparky still won't go into the fire station through the garage," RJ said as he opened the main door to the fire station. Sparky charged through the door. "He still won't go in the TV room, either," Brynlee added. "So I think the ghost is still here." There was only one light on in the back of the office. Nobody worked in the office on a Friday night. Claire set her bags down on a chair. "Let's see if we can find the ghost," she said as she got out her ghost glass and ghost catcher. Kaz passed through the bottle and expanded to his usual size. "Woof! Woof!" Sparky leaped up to lick Kaz, but his tongue passed all the way through him. "Watch the tongue, Sparky!" Kaz said as

Claire and the others moved down the hallway. He swam hard to catch up. Sparky stayed close to Kaz. Dick and David were in the TV room. "Hi, kids," they said when Claire, Brynlee, and RJ walked in. Kaz sailed behind them, but Sparky dropped to his belly in the doorway and let out a doggy groan. "Hi, Dad," Brynlee said. "We're looking for the ghost." "Good. I hope you find it," Dick said. The firefighters returned to their TV show. Claire wandered slowly around the room, her ghost glass in one hand and her ghost catcher in the other. Neither she nor Kaz saw any ghosts.